Moments That Mattered...

Lights of Love: Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us for our annual Lights of Love Lighting & Remembrance Ceremony on November 21. It was a beautiful evening of reflection. Read more below.

Holiday Decorations: Our hospice home is looking fun and festive, with holiday decorations around every corner. These small, simple touches are what make hospice feel like home.

Serenity Garden Progress: Progress on our Serenity Garden has been steady, with work for the fall season completed. Planting will resume in the spring! Read more below.

Mitchell Ladies Night Proceeds: We are deeply grateful to the organizers of the Mitchell Ladies Night for putting together such a wonderful and fun event in support of Rotary Hospice.

Estate Planning 101 Presentation: Thank you to everyone who attended our recent community education presentation, Estate Planning 101. Thank you also to guest expert Cate McCorquodale for sharing her time and expertise. Stay tuned for details of our next presentation series in Spring 2026.

Trail of Hope Success: Thank you to the Chesley Saddle Club for donating the proceeds from their wonderful fundraiser in support of Rotary Hospice and Huron Hospice. We are so grateful for your support.

Taylor's Deli & Shaun Pickering: We are deeply grateful to Taylor's Deli, the Gibson Family, and Shaun Pickering of eXp Realty for their wonderful fundraiser on November 15, donating $10 to Rotary Hospice from every sandwich sold.

Galaxy Lights Donated with Love: Our gratitude to the loved one of a former resident, who donated galaxy projector lights for each resident room in honour of her mum. This was something that brought comfort to her mother during her stay, and she wanted to pay it forward.

A Visit from Team Wildgust: For the second year in a row, Team Wildgust made a donation to our Lights of Love holiday campaign. We were grateful to show the team around and share about hospice care, allowing them to see the full impact of their giving.

Co-op Students Logan & Annika: We are so thankful to have local high school students Logan and Annika, who show up every day ready to work hard, learn, and support our hospice home behind the scenes.

Volunteers Hard at Work: Two of our lovely volunteers worked hard assembling simmer pot packages, which will be available by donation at this year's dramatic reading of A Christmas Carol. Read more about the event below.

😊Silly Joke of the Month: What do you call a snowman with a six-pack?

An abdominal snowman.

A Beloved Tradition, Shaped by Exceptional Performers. Don't Miss Out!

There are holiday traditions, and then there are evenings that stay with you long after the season ends. On Sunday, December 7, at 7 pm, at Avondale United Church, our annual dramatic reading of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol brings together an extraordinary collective of performers to share the timeless tale in support of Rotary Hospice.

What makes this night truly special is the craft behind it: each year, a different group of readers takes the stage, offering their own interpretation, voice, and artistry. The heart of the story remains, but the experience is always entirely its own, shaped by some of the finest talent in Canadian storytelling and music.

This year's performers bring a depth of experience, devotion to the art of narrative, and a level of excellence we are so proud to highlight.

Join us, not just to hear a beloved holiday classic, but to be part of an evening created thoughtfully and shared only once, together, as a community.

Tickets will be available for purchase online via the button below until noon on Sunday, December 7. After which, tickets can be purchased at the door with cash or credit card starting at 6 pm.

Your seat makes a difference. Your presence makes the night.

Tuesday, December 2, is Giving Tuesday!

Amid the flurry of holiday giving, Giving Tuesday offers a moment to pause and ask an important question: Where can my contribution make the greatest impact close to home?

If you're in St. Marys on Tuesday, stop in at The Hitching Post, where cookies and coffee will be available by donation in support of Rotary Hospice. It's a warm and simple way to show your support and to connect with the community. We continue to be grateful to Shannon O'Shea Ross and her family and friends for all they do for Rotary Hospice in memory of Queen Jean.

We also invite you to consider directing your Giving Tuesday gift toward the Lights of Love Holiday Campaign. The impact of your gift is profound: comfort where there was fear, clarity where there were unanswered questions, and support that makes all the difference during an impossibly tender season.

However and whenever you choose to give, please accept our thanks for making hospice care possible for our community when it matters most.

Thank You for the Light You Share

Lights of Love is always at its most beautiful when it reflects the many ways our community chooses to show up: in quiet remembrance; in shared traditions; and in generosity that helps hospice care endure.

Thank you to everyone who joined us on November 21 for an evening of remembrance, community, and warmth. From the countdown led by some very enthusiastic little helpers to the glow that lit our hospice grounds, every moment reflected the love carried in each dedication message.

We wish to acknowledge everyone who dedicated a light in honour or in memory of someone special, as well as our generous sponsors who helped make the night possible. Our heartfelt thanks to: Bill Whittemore, in loving memory of Lynn, Hubbard Pharmacy, Hunter Steel, Forman Electric, and our in-kind supporters, Jen Anderson & Jamie Gerber, Anderson Real Estate Group at Royal LePage Hiller Realty, and Tim Hortons, Huron Street, Stratford.

Annually, Rotary Hospice must fundraise approximately 50% of operating costs, which amounts to over $1 million. Your gift to The Lights of Love Holiday Campaign helps meet this goal. The campaign continues through to December 31, and our slideshow and list of dedications on our website, as well as the window display, will be updated regularly until year's end.

Thank you for making this tradition a source of comfort, connection, and care.

If you'd like to add a dedication or share the campaign with someone, we'd be honoured to have even more lights shining throughout the season. Your gift to the Lights of Love Holiday Campaign creates cherished moments as shared by Holly Galloway in her family's story found here.

Thank you.

This year's Lights of Love ceremony was enriched by a stunning original poem called Radiance, written by Stratford's Poet Laureate, David Stones.

A Poet Laureate is a storyteller chosen by a city or region to celebrate the community through poetry by marking important moments, honouring shared experiences, and capturing the emotional landscape of a place in words. It's a role rooted in craft, observation, and service, and David carries it with extraordinary talent and care.

We're honoured to share an excerpt from Radiance here with you:

In the lighting of things,

in the glimmer and glare

of this polished universe,

forgiveness gleams,

mercy beckons,

tenderness enfolds

and we breathe as one.

This is how we inhale light

and how light enters us,

the slow seep of love and caring,

like iridescence into the flower,

how stars embrace

and bloom the heavens.

And so we live on,

endlessly igniting candles

in the dark,

building the small fires

we pass from palm to palm,

the love that will endure,

the light we are determined

must burn forever.

These words only hint at the full beauty of the piece. The complete poem continues to resonate far beyond the ceremony itself, and we warmly invite you to read it in full on our website.

Serenity Garden Update

This month, our Serenity Garden continued to quietly take shape. The newly installed shade structures are now complete, the central water feature is in place, and the first round of trees and small shrubs has been planted.

While planting will resume in the spring, the space already carries a sense of calm we hoped it would hold. Even in these early stages, it's looking truly beautiful and will become a place that feels welcoming, grounded, and full of possibility.

We're grateful to everyone who has supported this project so far, and we look forward to sharing its next chapter when the season for planting returns.

Free Winter Webinar: Grieving Through the Holidays

As the holidays approach, many of us feel the pull of celebration alongside the reality of missing those close to us. Our upcoming free webinar, Grieving Through the Holidays, offers a gentle, practical space to explore that tension without expectations or judgment.

Together we'll talk through the unique shape of holiday grief, strategies for navigating traditions, and ways to protect your energy and heart through a season that can feel especially heavy.

If the holidays feel different now, or you're supporting someone who is grieving, this conversation is for you.

To register or learn more, email sw@rotaryhospice.ca

You don't have to move through this season alone. We're here for you.

Come Visit Our Hospice: You're Invited for a Tour

Have you ever wondered what a hospice looks and feels like? We welcome you to join us for a tour and experience the warmth, compassion, and care that fill our space.

Whether you're considering hospice care for a loved one, interested in the services we provide, or simply curious to learn more, we would be honoured to show you around and answer any questions you may have.

To arrange a tour, please contact Lucie at lucie@rotaryhospice.ca or 519-508-4900 ext. 720.

Rotary Hospice was built by the community for the community, providing compassionate end-of-life care at no cost to the individual. When you tour our hospice home, you in turn become an advocate for hospice care in our community - thank you!